“If Seixas wasn’t there, Pogacar wouldn’t have been booed so much” – Lance Armstrong and Bradley Wiggins take aim at French media over Tour de France hostility
CyclingFriday, 17 July 2026 at 10:40
Lance Armstrong and Bradley Wiggins believe Paul Seixas’s emergence and the coverage surrounding Tadej Pogacar’s dominance have contributed to the hostility directed at the Tour de France leader.
Pogacar was booed by sections of the crowd during his stage 10 victory at Le Lioran, after which he dismissed the reaction and said it had given UAE Team Emirates – XRG additional motivation. Jonas Vingegaard later defended his rival, insisting spectators should stay at home rather than boo riders.
Speaking on THE MOVE, Armstrong directly linked the increased hostility to Seixas giving France a leading home contender in the general classification.
“The increased booing directed at Tadej Pogacar is undoubtedly linked to Seixas’s presence,” Armstrong said. “If he hadn’t been there, Pogacar wouldn’t have been booed so much.”
Seixas carries French hopes into unfamiliar territory
Seixas arrived at his debut Tour following months of debate over whether Decathlon CMA CGM Team should select the 19-year-old for a three-week Grand Tour. Bernard Hinault was among those who questioned the decision, but the Frenchman has remained near the front of the general classification as the race has moved towards the mountains.
Wiggins believes the coming stages may prove more comfortable than the positioning battles and technical finales that shaped the opening half of the Tour.
“We’re actually entering the safest part of the race for him now,” Wiggins said. “He can just stay in position and do what he does best on the climbs. The stages so far have been the biggest challenge for him in terms of positioning.”
Pogacar was subject of some boos during stage 10 at the 2026 Tour de France
The former Tour winner acknowledged that Seixas is moving beyond anything he has previously experienced in a stage race, having never raced for this length of time.
“He’s entering uncharted territory for him, now that we’ve been on the road for almost two weeks,” Wiggins said. “He’s never raced this long, but I don’t see any problems. I think he’s done well and is right where he needs to be, even with the challenges he faced leading up to the Tour.”
Armstrong also pointed to the debate that preceded Seixas’s selection. “He has a strong spirit,” he said. “There was a lot of debate about whether he should even start, as France’s great hope. Bernard Hinault said it was a mistake, but everyone around him said, ‘Let’s do it.’”
Wiggins says French media narrative is taking hold
While Armstrong focused on Seixas’s presence, Wiggins turned his criticism towards the French media and its treatment of Pogacar’s dominance. “The media in France do influence the public,” Wiggins said. “I saw a two-page article in L’Equipe that raised the question of whether Pogacar’s dominance is killing cycling. That narrative is now taking root in the minds of the French.”
Wiggins compared that framing with the treatment of dominant figures in other major sports. “They never write that Lionel Messi is ruining football,” he said.
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Pogacar shrugs off boos as Vingegaard hits back
Pogacar had already addressed the boos after winning at Le Lioran, comparing his response to Novak Djokovic’s habit of using hostile crowds as motivation. Vingegaard took a firmer position, saying supporters were free to favour another rider but should not direct abuse towards the race leader.
Armstrong nevertheless resisted placing responsibility solely on French spectators, noting that the Tour attracts supporters from across Europe and beyond. “It’s not just French people lining the roadside,” he said. “They could be Danes, Spaniards or Germans. They come from all over the world.”
The nationality of those booing remains impossible to establish, but Armstrong and Wiggins have placed Seixas’s rise and the French debate around Pogacar’s dominance firmly at the centre of the controversy.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- is his plan to keep an ill Matteo in the race to infect Tadej and bring him down that way?mij17-07-2026
- amenmij17-07-2026
- honestly I agree with you. I shed tears for this man Jonas getting paid millions to ride a bike. he has the ability to walk away and say there is so much more to life while he has his millions. meanwhile there is so much more to life than working in a factory, but factory workers have to continue to retirement in spite of perhaps wanting to finish early. I find Jonas so unlikable due to being ungrateful for the talent and blessings he has. instead he just complains of his burden of riding a toy for millions per year.mij17-07-2026
- This is where Pog buries the race.Renz17-07-2026
- You are such an ARSE Mus..#$%$%.. Stop being a clown! Just go to the Poggi Circle JerK Forum and satisfy yourself there!
Alexcavalera17-07-2026 - So a bunch sprint that anyone could win is boring? Want to know what boring is? It is knowing at the start of a mountain stage, barring any accidents/race incidents who is going to win.
Andrew17-07-2026 - You're either new to cycling or you're from the US, maybe both, it would explain your attitude.Santiago17-07-2026
- Typical French . Pidcock is ex world Cyclocross champ Olympic and world MTB champ and is without doubt one of if not the best decender in the peleton and they are saying he took the wrong line lolpaultryan200217-07-2026
- Someone needs to remind this idiot that this is competitive professional sport. There is absolutely no other sport on earth, not football, not basketball, not track and field, not baseball or American football, not chess or checkers, where the defeated parties whine that the winners should lighten up and let them win too. And then where reporters write about it as a serious complaint. This is the way we expect children to play, not adults and certainly not professionals. It is a real disgrace for professional cycling that these voices are heard and amplified. Put on your big boy pants and get better.Curmudgeon17-07-2026
- Now the Movistar babies started to cry, because they have a shitty team? It's not Pogi's fault. José Joaquín Rojas, go cry on your mommies shoulder and leave cycling alone, it's not for you. Alpecin also touched a little reality, they have come down from a pink cloud this year and that's where they belong, among average teams. They have one stage win from a breakaway and will remain that way unless MVDP say's: "Pogi, please give us one more chance." Real cycling fans, not cry babies, want to see the GOAT in action. Maybe it's boring for some, especially for Pogi haters, but 80% of the fans are there to admire him, just like stadiums were full when they watched Usain Bolt demolish everyone. Today stadiums are half empty. I wouldn't actively watch the Tour if there was no Pogi (or someone like him), because I would be watching mediocre cyclists. Acta non verba !!!mus-musculuspeedypogigonzales17-07-2026
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